1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera head for an endoscope, a camera system for an endoscope, and an endoscope system that enable image pickup of an observation image from an endoscope by a provided image pickup device.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, an optical type endoscope has been widely used. In general, an observation image is observed from an eyepiece section with the unassisted eye when using such an endoscope. However, in some cases, it is used as an endoscope system in which a camera head having a built-in image pickup device is attached to the eyepiece section and is able to display a picked up observation image (image) on a TV camera or record the image on a video device or the like (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication, No. H07-39515). In such cases, the image signal is transmitted from the image pickup device provided on the camera head through a cable to an external CCU (camera control unit), and after having processed the image signal in the CCU, the image signal is transmitted to an external TV camera or video device to carry out display or recording.
In the case where a desired image is displayed or recorded using an endoscope system of such a configuration, an image signal to which image signal processing has been applied, that is, an image signal from the CCU needs to be transmitted to a TV camera, or video device. As a result, the image signal is transmitted to an external device separated from the endoscope, and is displayed or recorded after being subjected to image signal processing.